Flashback Facts About Pat Benatar

Would like to spread some love to my '80s idol Pat Benatar who has for my money one of the dollar for dollar best back catalogs in female rock history. For starters "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" brought tough girl status to glorified heights. "Heartbreaker" painted her as a femme fatale who wouldn't mind sticking the ax right down your back. Who can forget "Promises In The Dark" the masterwork off of "Precious TIme" Even today the live concert video holds up well. Pat and a bunch of contest winner filling a concert hall to hear Pat sing out in that five octave range of hers. The title cut had a saga style emnblazoned on it. Today it remains the charmer. Moving along to "Get Nervous" the title track made you want to sleep with your lights on. The propelling Neil Giraldo guitar to start lends the explosiveness that 34 years on still rocks my socks. "Little Too Late" begins handsomely with Myron Grombacher drumming away, a man on a sizable mission, a bombast bounty hunter with shifty sticks. Then there was the live album "Planet Earth" which included "Love Is a Battlefield". Truer words, lethal rhythm line. Also of note was "Lipstick Lies" the feather in the cap of which was Roger Capps belting out incredible keyboard fills as an opener. Of course Pat snarls like the erotic she devil we die hards knew she always was. Along we go to "Tropico" which contained the soothing "We Belong" composed during an ldyllic part of Pat and Neil's married life, the birth of their daughter Haley. It's an intensely personal song which captures their in the family way and connubial bliss ideally. "Ooh Ooh Song" captures a carnival vibe innocence. If you've seen the vid you know exactly what I'm driving at. Then along came "Seven The Hard Way", not a favorite album for Pat or Neil themselves. Too anguished a labor job to bring about warm fuzzies. It did birth "Invincible" a track from the soundtrack to the movie "The Legend of Billie Jean". Superb drumming, great guitar, and Pat belting out her words of misunderstood redemption. "Sex As A Weapon exploded into the top 40 as a cautionary tale of how female exploitation should neither be encouraged nor praised. Also noteworthy is La Bel Age, a track that basks in a nostalgic warm glow. In 1991 Pat opted for True Love" a straight up blues record. While not a chart world beater it was Pat's true labor of love and she was satisfied with the results. As for "Gravity's Rainbow" "Everybody Lay Down" remains the only reason you need to have bought the album for this showcased classic Pat shelling out classic rock. "Somebody's Baby" also acquitted itself well. Rough and dirty track playing up to Pat's well developed maternal side. Since I don't have much history with 1997's "Inammorata" or 2003's "Go" I refrain from comment. Pat Benatar on parade...what a show it was.